Revelation

Revelation. By J. Ramsey Michaels. IVP New Testament Commentary. Downers Grove; InterVarsity, 1997, 265 pp:, $17.99.

Michaels daringly begins his brief commentary with this quote from The Devil's Dictionary: Revelation is "a famous hook in which St. John the Divine concealed all that he knew. The revealing is done by the commentators, who know nothing" (p. 13?.

According to Michaels, Revelation is a "prophetic letter" rather than an apocalypse." Its first-person style makes it a "spiritual autobiography, a testimony or personal narrative" of what the author saw and heard on Patmos. John, for example, was amazed at what he saw and responded emotionally to it (5:5; 17:6).

The traditional date for the book may be accurate, says Michaels, but Revelation addresses a perceived crisis, rather than actual persecution; it is a wake-up call to Christians who do not realize they are in danger. John depicts the Church and the Roman Empire on a collision course because of a growing culture of compromise and complacency within the Church.

Michaels calls his interpretation of the book a "qualified literalism" that takes explicit predictions of the future as genuine prophecies, but sees most of chaps. 4-22 as a "series of first-century visions containing promises and warnings to Christian believers always and everywhere" (pp. 25-26). What John presents is simply what he saw, not the literal course of future events.

The purpose of Revelation is to warn Christians to maintain an honest and forthright testimony in spite of the threat of persecution. The one sin that stands out above all others in the book is lying-pretending to be something one is not. John warns that the "cowardly" and "all liars" will be refused entrance into the New Jerusalem. These include Judaizing Gentiles, who are fearful of being seen by Rome as distinct from Jews, and Nicolaitans, immoral prophet-teachers who are urging Christians to compromise with Roman values and religion in order to win social acceptance.

The seven "letters" (Revelation 2-3) are not letters at all, but the oracles of a prophet, given in the name of Christ. The "overcomers" in each congregation are those who "triumph" over hypocrisy and complacency, following the model of Christ himself t 3:21 ).

Michaels dances around several possible interpretations of the Beast's number 666 (13:18), but ultimately deduces that the number may simply mean that the Beast (which somehow represents the Roman Empire and its ruler) is evil and will be "like Nero." He concludes that John presents a premillennial view of Christ's return, but this does not tell us much about future chronology, since Jesus did not literally return when the Roman Empire came to an end.

The commentaries in this IVP series are designed to be useful to pastors and Bible study leaders; however, teachers of Revelation would be better advised to consult the more extensive works by Mounce, Beasley-Murray, Ladd, and Walvoord. Michaels tries to enliven his commentary by including homiletical illustrations and applications, but. his overemphasis on the visions in contrast to their meaning as future prophecy will make it more difficult for readers to trace the Biblical author's purpose. This is deadening for a commentary. especially on the Apocalypse.

Wayne A. Brindle

Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA

Copyright Evangelical Theological Society Mar 2000
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved